A blinding show of fireballs streaked throughout the night time sky within the southern United States on Sunday.
The mild present, initially mistaken for a meteor bathe, was attributable to the uncontrolled re-entry of a half-ton Chinese satellite tv for pc into Earth’s environment.
The SuperView-1 02 satellite tv for pc broke aside over New Orleans throughout night time time based on Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer on the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. People throughout Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri reported seeing the occasion, with the American Meteor Society reportedly receiving over 120 sightings.
Videos shared on social media captured the fiery spectacle. “I simply noticed a meteor falling to Earth in Mobile, Alabama — it was big, and the path was superb!” posted one consumer on X. Another wrote, “I satisfied myself that somebody had some unusual Christmas lights up on a hill.”
Meteorologist Nathan Scott, primarily based in Little Rock, Arkansas, confirmed the slow-moving beams of sunshine weren’t meteors. “The sensible show of fireballs final night time over Arkansas round 10 pm was NOT meteors. It’s a satellite tv for pc generally known as SuperView that burned up throughout anticipated re-entry,” Scott posted.
The SuperView-1 02 was launched in 2016 by Beijing’s Siwei Star Co. Ltd. and had been inactive since January 2023 classifying it as house junk.
It was one among 4 imaging satellites launched to orbit at 500 km altitude. After being decommissioned, it slowly drifted in direction of Earth, ending in Sunday’s fiery reentry.
Space particles re-entering the environment is a daily incidence, with 200-400 objects falling to Earth every year, based on the National oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA). Most of those deplete fully earlier than reaching the bottom, and the few remnants that survive sometimes land within the ocean.
Nasa screens house particles utilizing a Space Surveillance Network, which mixes floor and space-based gear to trace over 30,000 objects bigger than a softball in orbit. Experts proceed to check the impression of re-entering particles and its potential dangers.
The mild present comes amid latest controversies, particularly following stories of mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey that sparked widespread debate.
